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Clangorous Soulblazer

<p>It's not easy being a lizard. BW2 OU is a fast-paced and hard-hitting metagame, and Scrafty's good 65 / 115 / 115 bulk is not always enough to stand up to the increase in power. Scrafty's ever-present weaknesses to Fighting and Flying are more troublesome than ever, with the introduction of threats such as Keldeo and Technician Breloom, while Tornadus still holds relevance in the OU tier. This makes it more difficult for Scrafty to set up, and even after a Dragon Dance, common users of Choice Scarf can still outspeed it, particularly Terrakion. However, as grim as things may have become for Scrafty, its great Dark / Fighting STAB combo, two great abilities in Moxie and Shed Skin, and good boosting moves in Dragon Dance and Bulk Up allow Scrafty to remain viable. As such, although Scrafty struggles in the BW2 OU environment, with proper team support and smart playing, Scrafty can be successful.</p>

<p>Although its less-than-stellar Speed and average Attack make it an odd choice, Scrafty makes a decent user of Dragon Dance. It is blessed with Dark- and Fighting-type STABs in Drain Punch and Crunch that are resisted by only Heracross and Toxicroak, neither of which is extremely common. Moxie is the preferred ability here, as it gives a +1 Attack boost after each kill, boosting Scrafty’s modest Attack to intimidating levels. Hi Jump Kick is the preferred STAB choice here, as it provides much-needed power.However, Drain Punch is usable for its recovery and perfect accuracy, but its lower Base Power is often undesirable in many cases, as Scrafty does not hit hard enough without a couple boosts to its Attack. Crunch is chosen as Dark STAB and complements Drain Punch or Hi Jump Kick well, hurting Psychic- and Ghost-types as well as being solid and reliable. Ice Punch allows Scrafty to dispose of certain bulky Flying-types, notably Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Dragonite.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Life Orb makes Scrafty an immediately powerful threat, while Leftovers can potentially allow it to gain more Dragon Dances under its belt. With a Jolly nature and maximum Speed investment, Scrafty is able to outrun up to positive-natured base 111s, most notably Tornadus, and obliterate them with Ice Punch. An alternate spread of 140 HP / 176 Atk / 192 Spe with an Adamant nature is usable, as it makes Scrafty stronger and bulkier, but at the cost of Speed. For example, after one Dragon Dance, Scrafty will only be able to outspeed neutral-natured base 100s at best, and will thus be more susceptible to Pokemon such as Infernape, Keldeo, and Terrakion. Even with no investment in defenses, Scrafty makes great use of its 65 / 115 / 115 base defenses by withstanding common priority moves and attacks such as Latios's unboosted Draco Meteor and Keldeo's rain-boosted Surf ; even a Mach Punch from unboosted Adamant Conkeldurr will never OHKO Scrafty.</p>

<p>Scrafty doesn't have many options other than the ones listed already. It can use ThunderPunch for Gyarados, but other than that, Ice Punch vastly outclasses it. Scrafty can run a moveset of Dragon Dance, Rest, Drain Punch, Crunch with Shed Skin to reliably set up on weaker Pokemon, such as Gliscor, but it is susceptible on the turns Shed Skin does not activate. Shed Skin is also useful to remove burns or paralysis that might cripple Scrafty whilst it sets up. Taunt is useful if Ice Punch is not needed, as it can prevent Hippowdon or Skarmory from phazing Scrafty and also stop Ferrothorn from setting up Spikes or paralyzing with Thunder Wave; it also stops the use of Protect to deter Hi Jump Kick. Finally, Chople Berry deserves a special mention as an alternative item choice. This allows Scrafty to survive an otherwise fatal blow such as Terrakion's Close Combat or Conkeldurr's Drain Punch, provided that Scrafty has a reasonable amount of health left. However, it is situational at best, and in other instances you might miss out on valuable Leftovers recovery or the Life Orb power boost.</p>

<p>Since its base 90 Attack might not always hit hard enough, it is important to pair Scrafty up with entry hazard users such as Froslass, Scolipede, or Ferrothorn; the former two also attract Dark- and Rock-type moves for Scrafty to set up on. Amoonguss is also a useful teammate to take on Breloom and Keldeo, while attracting Steel-types that Scrafty can use as setup fodder. Zapdos is a viable teammate, as it has good synergy with Scrafty both offensively and defensively.</p>

<p>Scrafty's impressive bulk, in conjunction with its typing and ability, make it a fine user of the move Bulk Up. Drain Punch and Crunch, both of which receive STAB, have excellent coverage together, hitting all but Heracross and Toxicroak, both of which are uncommon, for at least neutral damage. Drain Punch also has the advantage of restoring Scrafty's HP while simultaneously dishing out damage, making Scrafty even more difficult to KO. After accumulating enough boosts, Scrafty can simply use Rest to completely restore its HP, and thanks to Shed Skin, potentially wake up immediately after using the move with no consequences.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs and nature maximize Scrafty's ability to take special attacks, as its Defense and Attack will be boosted by Bulk Up. Payback is an option over Crunch; while it has 100 Base Power when going second, it no longer doubles in power on the switch and only hits for a meager 50 Base Power against notable threats such as Reuniclus. Dragon Tail is another viable option over Crunch, allowing Scrafty to beat opposing stat boosters such as Conkeldurr, Salamence, and Suicune. Dragon Tail also has the advantage of hitting all Pokemon bar the irrelevant Shedinja for at least neutral damage alongside Drain Punch, although Dragon Tail will generally not hit as hard as Crunch and does not provide useful coverage. Intimidate is a useful ability over Shed Skin to weaken physical attackers, allowing Scrafty to tank better. However, this makes Rest significantly less reliable.</p>

<p>Scrafty can also be EVed to outspeed certain threats such as Metagross, Scizor, and Vaporeon; however, you are usually better off simply investing in its defenses, especially since Metagross and Vaporeon are not very common. While Scrafty's Special Defense is very good, it will still fold to powerful special attacks such as Keldeo's Hydro Pump, so exercise caution when setting up. Zapdos is a great teammate as it can check Fighting and Flying-types. Amoonguss is also a viable choice to take on Keldeo, while Spore allows Scrafty some free setup turns. Reuniclus has decent synergy with Scrafty and can handle opposing Fighting-types.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>An anti-lead set can work effectively, as Fake Out can be used to break any Focus Sash that the opposing Pokemon might hold, while the rest of Scrafty's movepool can enable it eliminate the opposing threat. However, thanks to Team Preview, dedicated leads are practically non-existent, and Scrafty is not fast enough to handle most of them anyway.</p>

<p>In addition to what has been previously listed, Scrafty also has access to Head Smash, Stone Edge, Fire Punch, and ThunderPunch (among other moves). However, Scrafty is better suited to using Ice Punch on the Dragon Dance set, as it otherwise has difficulty defeating the omnipresent Gliscor, Dragonite, and Salamence. Head Smash might seem cool, but the heavy recoil is not worth it. Zen Headbutt is a usable option on the Dragon Dance set to hit Toxicroak and, to a lesser extent, Heracross, among other Fighting-types that Scrafty may have a hard time with. However, Ice Punch is more important to handle Dragonite, Gliscor, and Landorus-T.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Physically bulky Pokemon, such as Hippowdon and Skarmory, take little from anything Scrafty has to offer and can phaze Scrafty out as long as it isn't the last Pokemon on its team. Quagsire, albeit rare, can check Scrafty very well as it ignores all of its boosts thanks to Unaware. Powerful Flying- and Fighting-type moves can inflict serious damage on Scrafty, as long as it hasn't yet accumulated numerous Bulk Up boosts, or if the attacks are special. Good users of these moves are Terrakion, Keldeo, Tornadus, and Conkeldurr. Most users of Choice Scarf, especially Terrakion and Keldeo, will be able to outspeed Scrafty even after a Dragon Dance boost and can inflict a good amount of damage on it. Toxicroak, and to a lesser extent Heracross, resist both of Scrafty's STABs and can retaliate with super effective Fighting attacks. Users of Trick and Encore will also cripple most Scrafty sets, as they can lock Scrafty into Bulk Up or Dragon Dance. While Scrafty has decent defenses, boosted hits from powerhouses such as Latios and Keldeo will often be too much for Scrafty to handle.</p>

Overview:
[I really toned down the overview to fit the current metagame, and mention it's not quite as good as it was at its prime. I'm writing an overview that isn't fluffy nor exactly mean, but as for now I'm toning it down.]

Set Comments of DD:
[I removed the mention of Zapdos and replaced it with Landorus-T 'cause Lando is far more relevant. Also, Scrafty is only a decent user of DD, lol. I removed any mention of Shed Skin entirely, because you'll almost always want Moxie, plus Moxie is the only ability on the set, so Shed Skin is AC at best. I also went ahead and explained Crunches purpose as the current comments never explained why Crunch is used here, which is secondary STAB.]

AC of DD:
[I did a lot here. 90 Attack is a little weak so Scrafty likes hazard support; Froslass is probably the best choice because it deters the use of Fighting-type moves, while attracts Dark and Rock moves as well as Espeon that give Scrafty perfect opportunities to set up, and the Spikes also help Scrafty achieve some KO's it would otherwise miss out on. By Frog's request, Amoonguss was also mentioned as a teammate to take on Keldeo and Breloom, incapacitate some common counters with Spore, and lure Heatran/Ferro for Scrafty to set up with. Also acknowledged that I'm sure it only survives unboosted Mach Punch from Conk; I'm sure boosted will score a KO. I'll add in other examples of Scrafty's nice bulk soon.]

Set Comments of BU
[Not much had to be done here, but I still did some. I acknowledged that Heracross and Toxicroak are not all that common, and I acknowledged that Attack is also boosted by BU hence why there only needed to be a small amount of Attack investment.]

AC of BU
[I did a little here, but there wasn't much. I removed Cofagrigus from the AC entirely because it's fairly irrelevant in OU these days, not to mention its analysis was deleted, so it was obviously deemed unviable. I replaced the "Virizion's Focus Blast" with "Keldeo's Hydro Pump" because nobody really uses Virizion these days, even if it's still viable. Keldeo is much more relevant and should be acknowledged.]

Checks and Counters:
[There's quite a bit that I added here. I removed Swampert entirely, because aside from being less relevant than it once was, is not cut out for the tank role anymore, and these days only CB Pert is good, so that mention was removed. I also acknowledged that Hippowdon and Skarmory also laugh at most of what Scrafty has to offer besides a boosted Hi Jump Kick. I replaced Staraptor and Virizion with Tornadus and Keldeo, respectively, because no one really uses either of those aforementioned two, and rain's pretty popular so Tornadus and Keldeo are definitely mention worthy. I also mentioned most Scarf users are a pain, because Scrafty's Speed is pretty crippling so most common Scarf users should ideally be able to outspeed Scrafty. I also added Keldeo into the sentence about boosted powerhouses being able to take it out, it's pretty strong and counts with that Specs Hydro Pump being overkill. Oh, and the two Pokemon that resist Dark / Fighting combo, Hera and Croak, are also worth mentioning as Scrafty counters.]

lurks in the shadows

Please flesh out the checks and counters section. You didn't mention a single counter to Scrafty, and there are plenty. Physically defensive Skarmory, physically defensive Hippowdon, RestTalk Gyarados, Conkeldurr, and any Toxicroak, counter any Scrafty with ease. As for checks there a ton that you have missed, especially for the BU set, such as SD or D-Tail Garchomp, Keldeo in rain, any Gyarados, SubDisable Gengar and more...

EDIT: Oh and Breloom doesn't need SD to check Scrafty. Adamant LO Mach Punch almost always OHKOes DD Scrafty after SR, while Breloom outspeeds BU Scrafty and then Spores it while 2HKOing with Low Sweep or setting up with SD.

Level 2

Intimidate deserves a slash alongside Moxie in the DD set to help it set up a sweep. Both abilities have been described as useful in the Gyarados and Salamence offensive DD sets, with it gaining preference over Moxie on the defensive Gyarados DD set.

I also prefer Expert Belt to LO on the same set to perserve Scrafty's bulk whilst still providing a strong attack boost (as with its coverage moves, it's usually hitting the opponent super-effective).

backhand slap ready

I honestly believe that the only set that should be listed is the Dragon Dance. Only against the more defensive of leaning teams does Bulk Up Scrafty really get a chance to shine. Simply put, the amount of strong physical fighting types in OU and the omnipresence of powerful rain-boosed water attacks do not do it any favors. Keldeo, Terrakion, and Breloom are all A-tier threats that can smashed poor little Scarfty to pieces. Tonadus is also a powerful contender for stopping Bulk Up Scarfty from doing anything.

It's all coming back to me now

Hi, I don't really think Scrafty needs a revamp. BW2 just made it worse with the introduction of new fighting types (and the boost to Breloom), the sets have not really changed at all and its just average at best. Why does it need to be updated when nothing changed asside form it getting even worse at what it does?

Clangorous Soulblazer

Hi, I don't really think Scrafty needs a revamp. BW2 just made it worse with the introduction of new fighting types (and the boost to Breloom), the sets have not really changed at all and its just average at best. Why does it need to be updated when nothing changed asside form it getting even worse at what it does?

be the upgraded version of me

Idk if I quite agree with Drain Punch > Hi Jump Kick. Scrafty is a DD Sweeper, meaning it's meant to sweep - it needs the power of HJK. It may even tie to Scrafty's longevity, since less Pokemon would survive to retaliate back. HJK also makes it a lot easier to achieve that first kill to initiate the Moxie snowball.

As for bulk of DD Scrafty you can give more examples. For instance, Scrafty survives a super effective Brave Bird from Skarmory, Rain-boosed Surf from Keldeo, and unboosted Draco Meteor from Latios. Rain-boosted Hydro Pump from Keldeo and SpecsToed kills it, though. If unboosted and area is clear of hazards, Scrafty may even survive a Secret Sword.

AC mention Taunt for DD Scrafty, a great stallbreaking option when facing the likes of Hippowdon. Also pairs well with HJK, since it prevents opponent from using Protect

Need more elaboration on Shed Skin - it's not merely useful when used with Rest. It can be used on the DD + 3 atk set, too, removing scald burns and paralysis that may come its way while setting up DD.

Please update the rest of the analysis, ScraftyIsTheBest! Checks and Counters especially needs a mighty revamp

Yeah no worries, I already had plans in mind to tone down the overview by a large margin. I'm just handling the sets and OO and Checks and Counters first, then I'll get to toning down the overview. Oh, and I'm going to really tone it down once I get to it, lol.

lurks in the shadows

I am going to test this thing soon, but for now the only sure thing i have to say is to slash Hi Jump Kick before Drain Punch. Scarfty aims to sweep and Hi Jump Kick helps more in most cases. I would rather OHKO many opponents than take a hit and heal some of the damage back. Drain Punch is pathetically weak combined with Scrafty's mediocre Attack and it should only be used with Life Orb.

be the upgraded version of me

ScraftyITB, we can get this update moving along if you can make the changes I outlined in my earlier post. Also, since HJK is a primary slash now, you'd want your set comments and AC to reflect this and focus more on HJK rather than Drain Punch. For instance, when mentioning about Taunt, you can tell readers that it would prevent the opponent from using Protect to block HJK.

You mentioned an alternative DD spread. You could add on that this bulkier spread also has more Attack, thanks to Adamant.

Persona 5

aka Swamp-Rocket

Hey just as a minor change can you make the ending of the overview a bit different? Unless I am mistaken it is copied word-for-word for the ending of UU Ambipom's, and if it isn't, then it is extremely similar. Also, it is a UU Pokemon getting an OU analysis, so ending off and starting off on such a negative note doesn't accomplish much.

Also, was Scrafty really ever a good Pokemon? I know it got worse, but earlier in BW it was regarded as the "Electivire of Gen V" before it dropped.

oh my gosh you found me

<p>With the transition to BW2, it's safe to say that Scrafty is not the Pokemon it once was. BW2 has brought forth a more fast paced and hard hitting metagame, and Scrafty's good 65 / 115 / 115 bulk is not always enough to stand up to the increase in power. Scrafty's ever present weaknesses to Fighting and Flying are more troublesome than ever, with the introduction of threats such as Keldeo and Technician Breloom, while Tornadus still rampages through the OU tier. This makes it more difficult for Scrafty to set up, and even after a Dragon Dance, common users of Choice Scarf can still outspeed it, particularly Terrakion. However, as grim as things may have become for Scrafty, its great Dark / Fighting STAB combo, two great abilities in Moxie and Shed Skin, and good boosting moves in Dragon Dance and Bulk Up allow Scrafty to remain viable. As such, although Scrafty struggles in the BW2 OU environment, with proper team support and smart playing, Scrafty can be successful. Be warned, though, Scrafty isn't the kind of Pokemon you can just slap onto a team and expect your team to be better; in fact, doing so will usually have the opposite effect.</p>

[I really toned down the overview to fit the current metagame, and mention it's not quite as good as it was at its prime. I'm writing an overview that isn't fluffy nor exactly mean, but as for now I'm toning it down.]

<p>Although its less-than-stellar Speed and average Attack make it an odd choice, Scrafty makes a decent user of Dragon Dance. It is blessed with Dark- and Fighting-type STABs in Drain Punch and Crunch that are resisted by only Heracross and Toxicroak, neither of which is extremely common. Moxie is the preferred ability here, as it gives a +1 Attack boost after each kill, boosting Scrafty's modest Attack to intimidating levels. Hi Jump Kick the preferred STAB choice here, as it provides much needed power to boot. However, Drain Punch is usable for its recovery and perfect accuracy, but its lower Base Power is often undesirable in many cases, as Scrafty does not hit hard enough without a couple boosts to its Attack. Crunch is chosen as Dark STAB and complements Drain Punch or Hi Jump Kick well, hurting Psychic- and Ghost-types as well as being solid and reliable. Ice Punch allows Scrafty to dispose of certain bulky Flying-types, notably Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Dragonite. Life Orb makes Scrafty an immediate power threat, while Leftovers can potentially allow it to gain more Dragon Dances under its belt.</p>

[I removed the mention of Zapdos and replaced it with Landorus-T 'cause Lando is far more relevant. Also, Scrafty is only a decent user of DD, lol. I removed any mention of Shed Skin entirely, because you'll almost always want Moxie, plus Moxie is the only ability on the set, so Shed Skin is AC at best. I also went ahead and explained Crunches purpose as the current comments never explained why Crunch is used here, which is secondary STAB.]

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>With a Jolly nature and maximum Speed investment, Scrafty is able to outrun up to positive-natured base 111s, most notably Tornadus, and obliterate them with Ice Punch. An alternate spread of 140 HP / 176 Atk / 192 Spe with an Adamant nature is usable, as it actually makes Scrafty stronger and bulkier, but at the cost of Speed. For example, after one Dragon Dance it will only be able to outspeed neutral-natured base 100s at best, making Scrafty more susceptible to Pokemon such as Infernape, Keldeo, and Terrakion. Even with no investment in defenses, Scrafty makes great use of its 65 / 115 / 115 base defenses by withstanding common priority moves and attacks such as Latios's unboosted Draco Meteor and a rain-boosted Surf from Keldeo, and even a Mach Punch from an unboosted Adamant Conkeldurr will never OHKO Scrafty.</p>

<p>Scrafty doesn't have many options other than the ones listed already. It can use ThunderPunch for Gyarados, but other than that, Ice Punch vastly outclasses it. Scrafty can run a moveset of Dragon Dance / Rest / Drain Punch / Crunch with Shed Skin to reliably set up on weaker Pokemon, such as Gliscor, but it is susceptible on the turns Shed Skin does not activate. Shed Skin is also useful to remove burns or paralysis that may cripple Scrafty whilst it sets up. Taunt is useful if Ice Punch is not needed, as it can prevent Hippowdon or Skarmory from phazing Scrafty and also stop Ferrothorn from setting up Spikes or paralyzing with Thunder Wave; it also stops the use of Protect to deter Hi Jump Kick. Since 90 Attack may not always hit hard enough, it is important to pair Scrafty up with entry hazard users such as Froslass or Ferrothorn, the former attracting Dark- and Rock-type moves for Scrafty to set up on. Amoonguss is also a useful teammate to take on Breloom and Keldeo, while attracting Steel-types that Scrafty can use as setup fodder. Finally, Chople Berry deserves a special mention as an alternative item choice. This allows Scrafty to survive an otherwise fatal blow such as Terrakion's Close Combat or Conkeldurr's Drain Punch, provided that Scrafty has a reasonable amount of health left. However, it is situational at best, and in other instances you may miss out on valuable Leftovers recovery or the power boost provided by Life Orb.</p>

[I did a lot here. 90 Attack is a little weak so Scrafty likes hazard support; Froslass is probably the best choice because it deters the use of Fighting-type moves, while attracts Dark and Rock moves as well as Espeon that give Scrafty perfect opportunities to set up, and the Spikes also help Scrafty achieve some KO's it would otherwise miss out on. By Frog's request, Amoonguss was also mentioned as a teammate to take on Keldeo and Breloom, incapacitate some common counters with Spore, and lure Heatran/Ferro for Scrafty to set up with. Also acknowledged that I'm sure it only survives unboosted Mach Punch from Conk; I'm sure boosted will score a KO. I'll add in other examples of Scrafty's nice bulk soon.]

<p>Scrafty's impressive bulk, in conjunction with its typing and ability, make it a fine user of the move Bulk Up. Drain Punch and Crunch, both of which receive STAB, have excellent coverage together, hitting all but Heracross and Toxicroak, both of which are uncommon, for at least neutral damage. Drain Punch also has the advantage of restoring Scrafty's HP while simultaneously dishing out damage, making Scrafty even more difficult to KO. After accumulating enough boosts, Scrafty can simply use Rest to completely restore its HP, and thanks to Shed Skin, potentially wake up immediately after using the move with no consequences. The EVs maximize Scrafty's ability to take special attacks, as its Defense and Attack will be boosted by Bulk Up.</p>

[Not much had to be done here, but I still did some. I acknowledged that Heracross and Toxicroak are not all that common, and I acknowledged that Attack is also boosted by BU hence why there only needed to be a small amount of Attack investment.]

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Payback is an option over Crunch; while it has 100 Base Power when going second, it no longer doubles in power on the switch and only hits for a meager 50 Base Power against notable threats such as Reuniclus. Dragon Tail is another viable option over Crunch, allowing Scrafty to beat opposing stat boosters such as Conkeldurr, Salamence, and Suicune. Dragon Tail also has the advantage of hitting all Pokemon bar the irrelevant Shedinja for at least neutral damage alongside Drain Punch, although Dragon Tail will generally not hit as hard as Crunch and does not provide useful coverage.</p>

<p>Scrafty can also be EVed to outspeed certain threats such as Metagross, Scizor, and Vaporeon; however, you are usually better off simply investing in its defenses, not to mention Metagross and Vaporeon are not very common. While Scrafty's Special Defense is very good, it will still fold to powerful special attacks such as Keldeo's Hydro Pump, so exercise caution when setting up.</p>

[I did a little here, but there wasn't much. I removed Cofagrigus from the AC entirely because it's fairly irrelevant in OU these days, not to mention its analysis was deleted, so it was obviously deemed unviable. I replaced the "Virizion's Focus Blast" with "Keldeo's Hydro Pump" because nobody really uses Virizion these days, even if it's still viable. Keldeo is much more relevant and should be acknowledged.]

[Other Options]

<p>An anti-lead set can work effectively, as Fake Out can be used to break any Focus Sash that the opposing Pokemon may hold, while having the rest of Scrafty's movepool to eliminate the opposing threat. However, with the advent ofthanks to Team Preview, dedicated leads are practically non-existent, not to mention Scrafty is not fast enough to handle most of them.</p>

<p>In addition to what has been previously listed, Scrafty also has access to Head Smash, Stone Edge, Fire Punch, and ThunderPunch (among other moves). However, Scrafty is better suited to using Ice Punch on the Dragon Dance set, as it otherwise has difficulty defeating the omnipresent Gliscor, Dragonite, and Salamence. Head Smash may seem cool, but the heavy recoil is not worth it. Zen Headbutt is a usable option on the Dragon Dance set to be able to hit Toxicroak and, to a lesser extent, Heracross among other Fighting-types that Scrafty may have a hard time with. However, Ice Punch is more important to handle Dragonite, Gliscor, and Landorus-T.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Physically bulky Pokemon, such as Hippowdon and Skarmory, take little from anything Scrafty has to offer and can phaze Scrafty out as long as it isn't the last Pokemon on its team. Quagsire, albeit rare, can check Scrafty very well as it ignores all of its boosts thanks to Unaware. Powerful Flying- and Fighting-type moves can inflict serious damage on Scrafty, as long as it hasn't yet accumulated numerous Bulk Up boosts, or if the attacks are special. Good users of these moves are Terrakion, Keldeo, Tornadus, and Conkeldurr. Most users of Choice Scarf, especially Terrakion and Keldeo, will be able to outspeed Scrafty even after a Dragon Dance boost and can inflict a good amount of damage on it. Toxicroak and to a lesser extent Heracross resist both of Scrafty's STABs and can retaliate with super effective Fighting attacks. Users of Trick and Encore will also cripple most Scrafty sets, as they can lock Scrafty into Bulk Up or Dragon Dance. While Scrafty has decent defenses, boosted hits from certain powerhouses such as Latios and Keldeo will often be too much for Scrafty to handle.</p>

[There's quite a bit that I added here. I removed Swampert entirely, because aside from being less relevant than it once was, is not cut out for the tank role anymore, and these days only CB Pert is good, so that mention was removed. I also acknowledged that Hippowdon and Skarmory also laugh at most of what Scrafty has to offer besides a boosted Hi Jump Kick. I replaced Staraptor and Virizion with Tornadus and Keldeo, respectively, because no one really uses either of those aforementioned two, and rain's pretty popular so Tornadus and Keldeo are definitely mention worthy. I also mentioned most Scarf users are a pain, because Scrafty's Speed is pretty crippling so most common Scarf users should ideally be able to outspeed Scrafty. I also added Keldeo into the sentence about boosted powerhouses being able to take it out, it's pretty strong and counts with that Specs Hydro Pump being overkill. Oh, and the two Pokemon that resist Dark / Fighting combo, Hera and Croak, are also worth mentioning as Scrafty counters.]

I don't really understand why it's safe to say that Scrafty is not the pokemon "he once was" considering he's exactly the same barely viable bonehead he always was. Yes he's even worse now in BW2 thanks to even more focus on strong special attacks to blow him out of the water but its not like he had a solid niche and playbase in BW1 or anything. Couldn't something be said in the overview along the lines of Scrafty continues to play his melody of mediocrity into a metagame that simply "drowns" him out with speedy fighting types and strong special attackers.

Nice job on this analysis! I made an amcheckAdditionsDeletionsComments

[Overview]

<p>With the transition to BW2, it's safe to say that Scrafty is not the Pokemon it once was. BW2 has brought forth a more fast-paced and hard-hitting metagame, and Scrafty's good 65 / 115 / 115 bulk is not always enough to stand up to the increase in power. Scrafty's ever present weaknesses to Fighting and Flying are more troublesome than ever, with the introduction of threats such as Keldeo and Technician Breloom, while Tornadus still rampages through the OU tier. I know this is for the most part QCs job, but tornadus isn't really that prominent in OU anymore. Although a threat, I would either change the word choice of "rampaging" to a more subtle word that better represents its usage, or just delete the entire sentence. This makes it more difficult for Scrafty to set up, and even after a Dragon Dance, common users of Choice Scarf can still outspeed it, particularly Terrakion. However, as grim as things may have become for Scrafty, its great Dark / Fighting STAB combo, two great abilities in Moxie and Shed Skin, and good boosting moves in Dragon Dance and Bulk Up allow Scrafty to remain viable. As such, although Scrafty struggles in the BW2 OU environment, with proper team support and smart playing, Scrafty can be successful. Scrafty may not be the most effective Pokemon, but it can be devastating in the right hands.</p>

<p>Although its less-than-stellar Speed and average Attack make it an odd choice, Scrafty makes a decent user of Dragon Dance. It is blessed with Dark- and Fighting-type STABs in Drain Punch and Crunch that are resisted by only Heracross and Toxicroak, neither of which is extremely common. Moxie is the preferred ability here, as it gives a +1 Attack boost after each kill, boosting Scrafty’s modest Attack to intimidating levels. Hi Jump Kick is the preferred STAB choice here, as it provides much needed power to boot. However, Drain Punch is usable for its recovery and perfect accuracy, but its lower Base Power is often undesirable in many cases, as Scrafty does not hit hard enough without a couple boosts to its Attack. Crunch is chosen as Dark STAB and complements Drain Punch or Hi Jump Kick well, hurting Psychic- and Ghost-types as well as being solid and reliable. Ice Punch allows Scrafty to dispose of certain bulky Flying-types, notably Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Dragonite. Life Orb makes Scrafty an immediately powerful threat, while Leftovers can potentially allow it to gain more Dragon Dances under its belt.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>With a Jolly nature and maximum Speed investment, Scrafty is able to outrun up to positive-natured base 111s, most notably Tornadus, and obliterate them with Ice Punch. An alternate spread of 140 HP / 176 Atk / 192 Spe with an Adamant nature is usable, as it actually makes Scrafty stronger and bulkier, but at the cost of Speed. For example, after one Dragon Dance it will only be able to outspeed neutral-natured base 100s at best, making Scrafty more susceptible to Pokemon such as Infernape, Keldeo, and Terrakion. Even with no investment in defenses, Scrafty makes great use of its 65 / 115 / 115 base defenses by withstanding common priority moves and attacks such as Latios's unboosted Draco Meteor and a rain-boosted Surf from Keldeo, and; even a Mach Punch from an unboosted Adamant Conkeldurr will never OHKO Scrafty.</p>

<p>Scrafty doesn't have many options other than the ones listed already. It can use ThunderPunch for Gyarados, but other than that, Ice Punch vastly outclasses it. Scrafty can run a moveset of Dragon Dance / Rest / Drain Punch / Crunch with Shed Skin to reliably set up on weaker Pokemon, such as Gliscor, but it is susceptible on the turns Shed Skin does not activate. Shed Skin is also useful to remove burns or paralysis that may cripple Scrafty whilst it sets up. Taunt is useful if Ice Punch is not needed, as it can prevent Hippowdon or Skarmory from phazing Scrafty and also stop Ferrothorn from setting up Spikes or paralyzing with Thunder Wave; it also stops the use of Protect to deter Hi Jump Kick. Since 90 Attack may not always hit hard enough, it is important to pair Scrafty up with entry hazard users such as Froslass or Ferrothorn, the former attracting Dark- and Rock-type moves for Scrafty to set up on. Amoonguss is also a useful teammate to take on Breloom and Keldeo, while attracting Steel-types that Scrafty can use as setup fodder. Finally, Chople Berry deserves a special mention as an alternative item choice. This allows Scrafty to survive an otherwise fatal blow such as Terrakion's Close Combat or Conkeldurr's Drain Punch, provided that Scrafty has a reasonable amount of health left. However, it is situational at best, and in other instances you may miss out on valuable Leftovers recovery or the power boost provided by Life Orb.</p>

<p>Scrafty's impressive bulk, in conjunction with its typing and ability, make it a fine user of the move Bulk Up. Drain Punch and Crunch, both of which receive STAB, have excellent coverage together, hitting all but Heracross and Toxicroak, both of which are uncommon, for at least neutral damage. Drain Punch also has the advantage of restoring Scrafty's HP while simultaneously dishing out damage, making Scrafty even more difficult to KO. After accumulating enough boosts, Scrafty can simply use Rest to completely restore its HP, and thanks to Shed Skin, potentially wake up immediately after using the move with no consequences. The EVs maximize Scrafty's ability to take special attacks, as its Defense and Attack will be boosted by Bulk Up.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Payback is an option over Crunch; while it has 100 Base Power when going second, it no longer doubles in power on the switch and only hits for a meager 50 Base Power against notable threats such as Reuniclus. Dragon Tail is another viable option over Crunch, allowing Scrafty to beat opposing stat boosters such as Conkeldurr, Salamence, and Suicune. Dragon Tail also has the advantage of hitting all Pokemon, bar the irrelevant Shedinja for at least neutral damage alongside Drain Punch, although Dragon Tail will generally not hit as hard as Crunch and does not provide useful coverage.</p>

<p>Scrafty can also be EVed to outspeed certain threats such as Metagross, Scizor, and Vaporeon; however, you are usually better off simply investing in its defenses, not to mention Metagross and Vaporeon are not very common. While Scrafty's Special Defense is very good, it will still fold to powerful special attacks such as Keldeo's Hydro Pump, so exercise caution when setting up.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>An anti-lead set can work effectively, as Fake Out can be used to break any Focus Sash that the opposing Pokemon may hold, while having the rest of Scrafty's movepool to eliminate the opposing threat. However, thanks to Team Preview, dedicated leads are practically non-existent, not to mention Scrafty is not fast enough to handle most of them.</p>

<p>In addition to what has been previously listed, Scrafty also has access to Head Smash, Stone Edge, Fire Punch, and ThunderPunch (among other moves). However, Scrafty is better suited to using Ice Punch on the Dragon Dance set, as it otherwise has difficulty defeating the omnipresent Gliscor, Dragonite, and Salamence. Head Smash may seem cool, but the heavy recoil is not worth it. Zen Headbutt is a usable option on the Dragon Dance set to be able to hit Toxicroak and, to a lesser extent, Heracross among other Fighting-types that Scrafty may have a hard time with. However, Ice Punch is more important to handle Dragonite, Gliscor, and Landorus-T.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Physically bulky Pokemon, such as Hippowdon and Skarmory, take little from anything Scrafty has to offer and can phaze Scrafty out as long as it isn't the last Pokemon on its team. Quagsire, albeit rare, can check Scrafty very well as it ignores all of its boosts thanks to Unaware. Powerful Flying- and Fighting-type moves can inflict serious damage on Scrafty, as long as it hasn't yet accumulated numerous Bulk Up boosts, or if the attacks are special. Good users of these moves are Terrakion, Keldeo, Tornadus, and Conkeldurr. Most users of Choice Scarf, especially Terrakion and Keldeo, will be able to outspeed Scrafty even after a Dragon Dance boost, and can inflict a good amount of damage on it. Toxicroak, and to a lesser extent Heracross resist both of Scrafty's STABs and can retaliate with super effective Fighting attacks. Users of Trick and Encore will also cripple most Scrafty sets, as they can lock Scrafty into Bulk Up or Dragon Dance. While Scrafty has decent defenses, boosted hits from certain powerhouses such as Latios and Keldeo will often be too much for Scrafty to handle.</p>

Doing just fine, here at the top of the world

However, as grim as things may have become for Scrafty, its great Dark / Fighting STAB combo, two great abilities in Moxie and Shed Skin, and good boosting moves in Dragon Dance and Bulk Up allow Scrafty to remain viable. As such, although Scrafty struggles in the BW2 OU environment, with proper team support and smart playing, Scrafty can be successful. Scrafty may not be the most effective Pokemon, but it can be devastating in the right hands.</p>

Before approving this check all the way, Ice Truck Killa's, Cherub Agent's, and GCSChris's concerns should be taken into consideration by the OP. The oft-forgotten goal of Smogon's analyses is to be honest about a Pokemon's viability and its wide array of options. Ice Truck Killa's concern might seem like a nitpick but it really is important to keep Scrafty's history truthful. Cherub Agent is right too in his questioning of Intimidate. Seems to me that it would deserve a slash on the Bulk Up set or at least an AC mention. It always is a fantastic ability and arguably as useful as Shed Skin as a defensive ability. Also, I haven't really played too much OU recently but I'm pretty sure Tornadus isn't rampaging through it (GCSChris addresses this but I need to reiterate it). It is outside of the realm of GP checkers to auto-correct these subjective changes so I'd like perhaps one more QC member to give this another stamp before I fully approve this. I'll stamp it 1.5 because the ammy check and the writing is fine, but it's definitely not ready to go on-site until QC checks this out.
[GP]1.5/2[/GP]

Persona 5

Yeah, you'll have to change the overview to make it more accurate before this can go onsite. You don't need to remake the overview from the ground up btw (or rag on scrafty even), but reaching a middle ground by editing the intro and the end is ideal.

Clangorous Soulblazer

Okay I made slight edits to the overview (toned down the part about Tornadus, still needs mention imo since if I remember correctly Tornadus still sits fairly close to the OU cutoff, so it's still somewhat relevant), and added Intimidate to AC of BU.